Avalor Anecdotes
by Shasta627
Summary: A series of seven one-shots that explore certain aspects and explain the past and future events of the main EoA characters' lives (includes Elena, Isabel, Esteban, Mateo, Naomi, Gabe, and Rafa de Alva). Slight shipping, but mainly character oriented. Written for EoA Apprectiation Week on Tumblr.
1. Elena

_**A/N:**_ ** _Here's my piece on Elena, based off of the song "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes" from Cinderella. Enjoy! xD_**

* * *

 _"_ _A dream is a wish your heart makes  
When you're fast asleep…"_

One of the earliest memories Elena can actually pinpoint an age on is at two years old. She's siting on her mother's lap as her mother reads one of her favorite books to her. It's a book about a princess who must save her kingdom from a dragon, and who ultimately falls in love with a prince in the end. She realizes now how cliché and predictable the story is, but back then it's the most exciting, fantastical story she's ever heard. At night, her dreams are filled with images of herself as a fierce, valiant princess, who will protect her kingdom from all the supernatural horrors of the world. She isn't too interested in romance at the time, but supposes once she's older, marrying a prince will be nice too. She can't wait to grow up and have adventures of her own, and she wishes every night that she can be just like the princess in her favorite story.

 _"In dreams you will lose your heartaches  
Whatever you wish for, you keep…"_

At six years old Elena receives the most exciting news of her life – she's going to be an older sister. Immediately she begins planning all the exciting adventures her and her younger sibling will have together, and thinks of how great it'll be to finally have someone besides Esteban to play with. The day her little sister is born all the adults are in a frenzy and Elena isn't sure whether to be excited or scared about what's happening. Thankfully her _abuela_ is there to hold her and give her comforting reassurances that everything is just fine. Later that night, Elena gets to see her sister for the first time, and is struck by wonder at how small and wrinkly she is. Yet Elena loves her, and even at six years old she knows that her and her little sister will be the best of friends. When Isabel grows a little older, Elena decides it's her job as a big sister to read to Isa and entertain her, so she grabs her favorite book and tells her sister all the same stories her mother did to her when she was younger. She isn't sure if Isa understands them yet or not, but Elena loves revisiting all her favorite old fairytales, and still pictures herself as the brave princess who will one day save her kingdom.

 _"Have faith in your dreams and someday  
Your rainbow will come smiling through…"_

Elena is sixteen when she begins to believe that the future has no hope. She doesn't know how long it's been since Shuriki has trapped her in her amulet. A day? A week? Maybe even a year? Time is nonexistent in her prison, and Elena has exhausted herself trying to break down the crystal walls surrounding her. She doesn't know whether to scream or cry or try to stay calm, but she knows she can't do all three. Her parents are dead – she watched them as they were enveloped in Shuriki's mystical spell and taken away from her forever – and she has no idea what's happened to the rest of her family. Did they survive, or was their fate the same as her parents'? Elena blocks out the thought before she can dwell on it anymore, but she knows she can't escape her mind forever. She's trapped, and there's nowhere she can go, nothing she can do. The future, which once seemed so bright and hopeful, is now bleak and depressing, and Elena can't think of any way to change her circumstances. Grief begins to overwhelm her, and as curls up on the floor, sobs wracking her shoulders, she can't help but think of the dreams she had as a child; dreams where she was the fierce princess who could overtake any evil she was faced with. She clings to those small slivers of her old dreams, and hopes that maybe one day, they can still come true.

 _"No matter how your heart is grieving  
If you keep on believing…"_

Elena is ready to end Shuriki once and for all by the time she is nineteen. The evil witch has been plaguing Avalor for long enough, and Elena knows that if she and her friends don't stop her now, no one ever will. Her heart is still heavy from the loss of her parents and everyone else she's lost along the way, and she needs closure. She wasn't able to defeat Shuriki all those years ago, but now, with Mateo, Gabe, Naomi, and the rest of her family on her side, she confidently tells everyone that they can drive the witch out of Avalor forever. Yet her outward confidence doesn't stop her from worrying, and wondering if she's leading all of her friends to their death instead of deliverance. Her chance to be the hero from her dreams all those years ago is finally here, and she is terrified inside. Her life is not a fairytale, where the princess easily saves her kingdom and gets the man of her dreams; she's discovered just how much more complicated life is, and that it doesn't always have a fairytale ending. Yet she can't stop herself from believing it _can_ happen, as long as that's what everyone strives for. With her and her team, plus the whole Kingdom of Avalor helping them, they might not be able to stop the monster as easily as her favorite heroes did in her stories, but they can sure try their best.

 _"The dream that you wish will come true_

 _It will come true."_

She can't quite believe she has a daughter of her own at the age of twenty-two. She's already lived out the adventure she imagined for herself as a small child and even found her prince charming, but parenthood is a whole new adventure on its own, and nothing could truly prepare her for it. Thankfully she has Mateo by her side to face this new adventure with her, or else she would truly be lost. It's at times like these she wishes her own mother was here to help give her advice on how to raise a child and be a good parent, but she knows she'll just have to remember her mother's example and try her best to live up to it. If there is one clear moment she can remember form her childhood though, it was how much she loved to be read to. So, every night, before she and Mateo tuck in little Ana Lucia de Alva Castillo, Elena reads to her; she reads her stories about princesses who save the day and find true love, and as little Ana eventually drifts off into a deep slumber, Elena hopes her daughter will someday learn that even though it may seem impossible, sometimes even the most fantastical fairytales can come true after all.


	2. Isabel

**_A/N: I'm pretty sure Isabel is my favorite character, mainly because I see so much of myself in her and we have the same interests, so I had a lot of fun writing this story! Read and enjoy!_**

* * *

Isabel gripped the olaball hard and threw it into the air before using her arm to hit it over her shoulder with as much strength as she could muster. It soared through the air, heading straight for the goal, but then hit the wall and bounced right over it instead of going through. Isabel inwardly groaned and sank to the dusty ground, glaring at the ball as it continued to bounce a few feet in front of her, as though mocking her failure.

She wasn't _terribly_ bad at Olaball; in fact, she was fairly decent, but she didn't play it often enough to learn any new moves and tricks that could make the game more exciting.

 _And make me less boring,_ Isabel thought with a downtrodden sigh.

Normally she didn't care what people thought of her; she knew she was a bit different for an average sixteen-year-old girl, with her undying love for science and experiments, and she knew she was different form Elena too, but that had never been a problem to her. Until yesterday, that is.

Elena had been busy attending the required premarital counseling sessions with her fiancé, Mateo, so when Princess Valentina of ParaÍso stopped by for a visit, it was Isabel's job to welcome and take care of Avalor's guest. The princess had definitely changed since the first time she visited Avalor and was a lot less high maintenance, so Isabel simply showed her around Avalor again and talked to her about whatever came to mind. By the end of Princess Valentina's visit Isabel felt like she'd been a decent host, but then remembered she'd promised Valentina a box of Avaloran chocolates before she left. Isabel had hurriedly grabbed some and was about to bring them outside to the princess, who was waiting on the front steps, when she overheard the older girl talking to her carriage driver.

"It was a nice day, I guess, but I wish Elena could've spent time with me instead of her sister," Valentina was saying.

Isabel froze, her hand hovering above the doorknob.

"I mean, Isa is nice and all, but she's just so, oh, how do I say this? _Boring,_ I guess. All she did was talk about the weather and _school_ stuff like science and math. I mean, does she really think people are interested in that?"

"Maybe," she heard the carriage driver respond. "I don't know much about her, except that people say she is a lot quieter and more reserved than her older sister, Queen Elena."

"I wish she were _more_ like Elena," Valentina admitted in response. "Elena's a lot more exciting to be around."

Isabel could feel her breath quickening the longer she listened to the two of them converse. _Is this really what people think about me?_ She asked herself, her heart sinking as her mind replayed their words over and over again. _I know not everyone loves the same things I do, but am I really that boring?_

Princess Valentina was beginning to speak again, but Isabel couldn't bear to hear any more. She threw the door open and walked to where Valentina was waiting, plastering a large smile on her face.

"Here's the chocolates, as I promised." She handed the box over, trying her best to act natural.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Valentina exclaimed, taking the box with enthusiasm. "And thank you for the marvelous day too—I had so much fun!"

Isabel would've believed that if she hadn't heard what the princess said only moments before. _How many other people have lied to my face like that?_ she wondered, starting to feel sick.

"No problem. Have a safe journey home!" Isabel replied, hoping they didn't notice the strain in her voice. She forced herself to stay and wave until the carriage was out of sight until she turned around and dashed up to her bedroom, sprawling herself across her bed.

Her common sense told her not to listen to Valentina—they barely knew each other, after all—but part of her also worried that what the princess said was right. What if everyone _did_ think she was boring, but never said anything because they didn't want to hurt her feelings?

And so, after a restless, emotionally exhausting night, Isabel went to the Olaball court and spent the morning trying to teach herself new, _exciting_ moves that could prove to people she was _not_ boring. Unfortunately, she discovered it was hard to train herself when she didn't have a trainer.

Isabel huffed in annoyance as she finally stood up from the ground and brushed off her dusty clothes. Was there anyway she could get better? She supposed she could ask Elena to train her, but her older sister was most likely busy and even if she wasn't, she'd probably see right through Isabel and try to convince her that Valentina was wrong. But what if Valentina was _right,_ and Elena was only saying those things out of sisterly love?

No, she needed someone else to train her, but who else could she ask?

The answer came to her before she could even finish thinking the question, so Isabel turned and raced to the guard barracks before she could give her idea a second thought.

She spotted his horse, Fuego, first, and turned to give the horse a gentle pat. "If you're still here, then your rider must be somewhere around here, too," Isabel murmured as she stroked the soft fur along his nose. Fuego let out a soft neigh, as though agreeing with her.

"Excuse me, _se_ _ñ_ _orita,_ but the palace stables are off limits to the pub—oh, it's just you Isa."

Isabel whipped around to see Gabe standing by the entrance to the stable, looking at her sheepishly. "Sorry, princess, I didn't recognize you for a second."

Isabel smiled forgivingly. It was an honest mistake; she wore dresses or skirts almost every day instead of pants. "No problem. I was actually looking for you, though."

Gabe leaned against the side of the entrance gate and crossed his arms, a single eyebrow raised. "Me? Are you going to ask me to be the dependent variable in one of your experiments again?"

"No, not this time." Isabel smiled. "I was going to ask if you have any plans for today?"

Gabe seemed to relax considerably. "Not really, besides a few routine checkups on my guards. Why? Did you want to go riding?" He gestured to the horses around him.

Isabel shook her head. "Actually, I was, uh, hopingyoucouldtrainmeatolaball," she quickly explained, suddenly nervous.

Gabe blinked. "Sorry? I didn't quite catch that last bit."

"I was hoping you could train me at Olaball," she said again, much more slowly. "I—I want to get better, and don't know how."

 _Please don't ask why,_ she silently pleaded, but Gabe only smiled at her eagerly.

"Really? Yeah, that sounds like fun—let's go!"

 _So playing Olaball_ does _make me more exiting_ , she thought triumphantly, but then Gabe dashed off before she could say anything else, leaving her to have to sprint to catch up to him.

They reached the Olaball court in no time, where Gabe immediately began telling her about how the game was all about eye-to-arm-to-foot coordination, plus other useful tips and strategies he used while playing.

Isabel nodded along to everything he was saying, trying to absorb all the information she could. She understood the game completely, but when she actually tried to play using all the fancy moves and tricks she'd seen Elena and Gabe use, it suddenly became immensely more complex.

"You ready to start?" Gabe's question brought her out of her contemplation, and she nodded.

"Okay." He grabbed an olaball and gripped it tight. "Trust me on this, alright?"

Before she could ask him what he meant, he swiftly flung the ball right at her torso. Isabel just barely managed to jump and kick the ball out of the way, throwing Gabe a startled look as she did so. "What was that for?" she demanded, while Gabe only smiled.

"I wanted to see what your dominate reflexes were. You used your legs instead of your arms, so now I know that you should focus on moves that involve your legs, since you're more prone to use them when the ball comes flying at you."

"Oh," was all Isabel could respond with. She supposed that did make sense.

For the rest of the morning the two of them worked on new moves and improving Isabel's olaball skills, and by lunch they were thoroughly exhausted. Or at least, Isabel was—Gabe barely looked winded.

"You're doing good," he praised as they took a break in the stands surrounding the court.

His encouragement was nice, but Isabel felt like she barely learned anything. Did Gabe actually think she was improving, or was he just saying that to be nice?

 _Does anyone actually mean any of the nice things they say to me?_ Isabel thought sourly, before she stood up, her face set in determination. "I've got to keep practicing," she told him. She had to prove to people that she could be interesting, and did other things besides reading books and building science experiments.

Gabe reached out and tugged on her hand before she could walk any further. "Hey, you're exhausted. Why not take a break? You've earned it."

"But I have to get better!" she protested as she weakly tugged against his hold.

Gabe released her hand and frowned at her. "Why? You're already a decent player. Are you planning on joining the team or something?"

"Oh, um…" she stuttered, frantically thinking. Elena was on the Olaball team, so did that mean she should try to join too? "Yes?" she answered hesitantly.

"'Yes?'" Gabe repeated. "You sound a bit unsure." When she didn't respond he stood up to face her, his arms crossed. "Isa, what's going on? I've noticed you haven't really been yourself this morning."

"Nothing, I'm fine. C'mon, let's practice some more." She raced off before he could question her further.

The two of them continued practicing for at least another hour, but Isabel was trying too hard and overexerting herself in every move she made, which halted her progress.

Finally, Gabe caught her by her shoulders in an effort to slow her down. "I think we've got to go about this at a different angle," he told her, beads of sweat finally gathering near his hairline. "Let's try something that'll play off of your strengths, like…" He thought for a moment before smiling. "What if you could calculate the angle you'd need to throw the ball in order for it to bounce off the wall and through the goal?"

Isabel blinked in confusion. "You want me to use…math? In Olaball?"

Gabe shrugged. "Why not? It's one of your strengths, so you should use it."

"But no one cares about that stuff—and no one else uses it to play, so why should I?" Isabel said, unaware of the bitterness creeping into her tone.

Now it was Gabe's turn to look confused. "Isa, are you sure everything is fine? You love that type of stuff."

Isabel floundered a bit as she tried to explain. "Well, I do love it, but it's just, not very exciting to other people, y'know? And Olaball _is,_ so it seems I shouldn't use it or else people will _still_ think I'm boring, and—"

"Wait, hang on," Gabe interrupted, holding up his hands. "Isa, who said you're boring? That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard!"

Isabel flushed pink as she realized what she revealed. "Just…some people," she tried to say casually, avoiding his eyes. "But, it's kind of true." She slumped down to the dusty ground, sitting in the same position as earlier that morning. "I sometimes feel like I'm the only person in all of Avalor who really enjoys learning and building things, but to everyone else it's just…boring! So I thought, maybe if I can get really good at Olaball, which is a sport everyone gets excited about, then people can see that I'm interesting and exciting too." She let out a frustrated sigh and buried her face in her hands, not wanting to see Gabe's expression.

She could hear him sit down in front of her a few seconds later. "Isabel," he began softly. "I don't know who told you that you were boring, but they obviously don't know you like your friends and family do. Trust me, you're one of the most interesting, exciting, and creative people I know. Who else can build machines that can dress people for any occasion? Or understand the physics behind volcanoes and how the weather works?"

Isabel peered through her fingers to see that he was smiling sincerely.

"Your mind is always running, and always coming up with new ideas and inventions—trust me, I know this because I've experienced some of them firsthand," he continued with a chuckle. "And only you can come up with the exact angle an olaball needs to be thrown to bounce into the goal. How could anyone ever consider that much creativity and genius combined to be boring?"

Gabe was now staring intently at her, his chocolate brown eyes revealing that he believed all of his words to be true. Isabel shrugged, a smile beginning to tug at her lips. "I guess you may have a point. But compared to Elena, I'll always be seen as less exciting."

"But that's because you're _not_ Elena!" he emphasized. "You and Elena are completely different, and both you and other people have got to stop comparing yourself to her. You don't need to be extremely outgoing and reckless like your sister is sometimes to be considered exciting. You already have lots of friends who love you for being yourself—why else would they hang out with you if they thought you were boring?"

"I don't know," Isabel mumbled, realizing now how trivial all of this was. "I thought maybe they were just being nice, and didn't want to hurt my feelings."

"If they truly found you uninteresting, they wouldn't voluntarily hang out with you all the time, would they?" Gabe smirked, seeming to realize she was finally understanding his point.

"I suppose." Isabel tugged at her hair in embarrassment. "Ugh, I feel so silly now. I can't believe I let Valentina's words get inside my head like that."

"Princess Val? She's the one who said this?" Gabe asked, suddenly looking downright disgusted.

 _Whoops._ "Uh, yeah, but forget I said that. It doesn't matter anymore," Isabel told him as she stood up, Gabe following suit. "But, anyway, thank you Gabe," Isabel said sincerely. "I needed that reminder."

Gabe gave her a soft smile. "Anytime, princess." He picked up the olaball at his feet. "So, I guess this means practice is over?"

"Are you kidding?" Isabel laughed as she kicked the ball out of his hand. "I've got to find that perfect angle. _Real_ practice has just begun."

"Sounds like fun," Gabe agreed, happy to see Isabel as her normal, exciting self again.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I'm obviously extremely subtle with who I ship Isa with *wink wink* ;)**_


	3. Esteban

**_A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this one and imagining what it was like for Esteban right before his whole world basically fell apart, so I hope you enjoy the slight angst :)_**

* * *

The forest was alive with sounds during the night; animals and insects chirped and chattered, and the soft evening breeze blew quietly and rustled the leaves on the trees overhead. Yet Esteban took no notice of any of these things, instead listening intently for the particular sound of a low whistle. His stomach turned with anxiety as he sat crouched behind a bush, silently hoping that maybe he wouldn't hear the signal after all, but no sooner had the thought crossed his mind when the low whistle was heard, to which he immediately responded with a whistle in return.

Knowing the coast was now clear, Esteban stood, stretching out his long legs with a sigh. Even though he was only seventeen and still spry and limber, foot cramps often plagued him as though he was an old man of eighty instead.

"I thought you were going to bail on me," Esteban hissed in annoyance as he saw a familiar figure walk towards him. "Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

"It took me a while to escape my parents—you know how mistrusting they are of me," Victor Delgado replied with a scowl. "Now c'mon, palace boy, we've got a meeting to attend."

Victor turned and left before Esteban even had a chance to retort. Trying to quell his frustration, he swallowed his misgivings and followed his friend. He was still trying to convince himself that what they were doing was right, but lately he'd began to grow hesitant. Shuriki was powerful—almost a little _too_ powerful—and there was no doubt that she could rule Avalor and be a successful queen. It was just the means of securing her in that position that made Esteban wary.

"Just think," Victor whispered back at him, "tomorrow this time, we'll be sitting on the throne as rightful rulers of Avalor! Just picture it!" He grinned largely as he became lost in his imagination. "Finally, we'll be treated with respect, and no one will laugh at us and our grand schemes anymore." He turned back around and elbowed Esteban harshly in the side, frowning at his lack of enthusiasm. "Aren't you excited?"

"Yes, of course," Esteban quickly reassured. "It's just…"

"Just what?" Victor snapped, fixing Esteban with a steely glance. "You're not backing out, are you?"

"No," Esteban retorted just as sharply, drawing himself up to his full height so that he could look down at Victor. "I'm just worried about what she'll do to my family. Once she's queen, what will my aunt and uncle or cousins do? Where will they go?"

Victor groaned loudly, ignoring Esteban's frantic shushing. "You're worried about your _family_? I thought you hated them! They're all you complain about, especially your perfect little cousin Elena."

"I don't _hate_ them," Esteban clarified stiffly, "I'm just… _annoyed_ with them. A lot. Especially Elena. She's all anyone in my family seems to talk about! It's like just because my parents aren't around anymore, they forget that I'm royal too, and don't even consider me as a potential leader of Avalor." Esteban angrily kicked a tree as they walked, wincing as his toe began to throb. "' _Why can't you be more mature like Elena? Do something productive like Elena! Elena wouldn't pull a stunt like this—it would serve you well to follow her example,'_ " Esteban mimicked in his grandparents' voices. "It's not hard to tell who everyone's favorite is."

"And this is preciously why we've agreed to make this deal," Victor said as he gave Esteban a hearty clap on the back. "It'll improve both of our circumstances."

"I suppose you're right," Esteban agreed, but couldn't shake his looming sense of uneasiness.

The two walked in silence for a few more minutes before they reached their destination. The small cabin was easily concealed by several vines and leaves, but both of the boys knew exactly where to look, and where the door was.

Esteban remembered back to six months ago, when he and Victor had first run into Shuriki in the forest. They had thought she was just an old hermit living in the woods, but when they accidentally got caught in one of her magical traps lying around her property, they soon discovered that her appearance was incredibly deceiving. After releasing them form her trap, a conversation struck up between the three of them, and they soon learned how magical and wise Shuriki was, plus her ambition to help Avalor become a prosperous, thriving kingdom. Over time Esteban and Victor kept meeting up with her, for she promised to use her magic for them if they would tell her more stories about Avalor and the palace life. She was especially interested in Esteban's stories, and soon the idea that she would be a better ruler than King Raoul came up in conversation. At first they all laughed the idea off as an absurd notion, but as time grew on all three of them began considering the implications seriously, which then led them to where they were now, on the _Eve of Annexation_ , as Victor dubbed it.

"You ready?" Victor asked again, his teeth glinting in the pale moonlight from above.

Esteban nodded resolutely, and Victor gave the old wooden door three soft knocks. They waited for only a moment before the door swung open, revealing a cozy interior that harshly contradicted its outward appearance.

"Come in," they heard Shuriki say from somewhere in the cabin. "I've been expecting you."

Victor turned to wink confidently at Esteban once more before disappearing inside. Esteban took a breath to clear his head before stepping inside as well, gently closing the door behind him.

Once his eyes adjusted to the bright light the fire was casting around the room, he noticed Shuriki standing by her kitchen table, a map of Avalor spread out across the surface. She looked up at the two of them, smiling widely in anticipation. "Are you boys ready to make our final plans?"

"Yes, but first, I feel as though we need to discuss our agreements," Victor stated, taking the lead as always.

Shuriki's smile stayed plastered on her face, but Esteban watched with unease as her eyes flickered with annoyance. "What is there to discuss? We already know what we all want."

"But I want to make sure that we get it," Victor said, his eyes flaring with determination. "And make sure none of us feels the need to double-cross each other."

Victor's eyes flicked to Esteban momentarily before he returned his gaze on Shuriki.

"None of us will betray each other, Victor, so just get on with it," Esteban grumbled, insulted that his friend didn't trust him.

"Fine," Victor replied curtly. "Shuriki, Esteban and I will help you infiltrate the palace and usurp the Castillo Flores family if, and only if, you swear to let us rule by your side. Do you agree to our terms?"

"And," Esteban quickly cut in, "you must promise not to hurt any member of the royal family or the palace staff."

"Don't be such a pacifist," Victor griped, rolling his eyes.

Esteban turned to Victor, appalled at his friend's lack of sympathy. "I'm sorry, I suppose you would be completely fine with killing your whole family then?" he spat.

Victor scoffed. "Just for fun? Of course not. But for the right price?" He shrugged, his expression neutral.

For the first time in his life, Esteban couldn't tell if Victor was joking or not, and it worried him.

"So…" Shuriki dragged out the word, pulling their attention back to her. "Are those all your demands?"

Victor and Esteban shared a brief look before they both nodded.

"I see." Shuriki sighed and crossed her arms. "Very well, I will agree to your stipulations as long as you uphold mine. Get me in the palace, and help me overthrow the King so that I may rule. Are we all clear now?"

"I want to hear you swear it," Victor pressed defiantly. Esteban shivered at the lethal look the powerful sorceress gave his friend, but Victor did not back down.

"Fine." She held out her hand to shake. "I hereby swear to let you rule by my side, and not to hurt any of the palace members, if all goes according to plan. Are you happy now?"

Victor was silent, as if trying to decide whether her oath was good enough or not.

Esteban could feel the tension in the air and glared at Victor. "Just shake on it—you're too paranoid, Victor," Esteban exclaimed.

Shuriki gave him a smirk of approval. "Your friend seems to be wiser than you, Victor. Perhaps he should make the deal." She turned to Esteban, her hand still outstretched. "Do we have an agreement?"

Esteban swallowed, suddenly anxious, but took one look into Shuriki's challenging eyes and took her hand, shaking it firmly. "Deal," he agreed.

"Good," she replied, dropping his hand and resuming her place at the kitchen table.

Esteban could see Victor scowling at him from the corner of his eye, but ignored him as he beginning laying out the plan with Shuriki, pointing out the least fortified places in the palace and informing her of the times the guards would be on patrol.

Several hours later, the three of them had come up with a foolproof plan that guaranteed imminent success. Victor and Esteban bade Shuriki a good night and left her house, shivering as the cold night air lingered on their skin. They walked in silence most of the way, each one lost in their own thoughts about the upcoming day, when Victor broke the silence by saying, "You shouldn't have made that deal with her."

Esteban stopped, frowning. "Why not? Did you want to do it? You had your chance, you know."

"I didn't mean it like that," he explained exasperatedly. "I mean the way she said it sounded…strange to me. ' _If all goes according to plan,'_ she said. And if it doesn't? Does that mean she won't let us rule?"

Uneasiness swept over Esteban for the umpteenth time that evening. "You're thinking too much. She probably didn't mean it that way." When Victor only shrugged in response, Esteban felt his anger flare up again. "Why are you so hesitant all of a sudden? Weren't you berating me just hours before for having doubts? You're such a hypocrite," he mumbled, but Victor still heard him.

"I am not!" he roared, and then seemed to remember that it was still the middle of the night and lowered his voice. " _You_ were having doubts about the whole plan—I am not. I'm just worried that Shuriki has got something up her sleeve, but I can't be sure, so I'm just taking precautions. Understand?"

Esteban simply shrugged. "I suppose."

"Whatever. Just make sure you keep an eye on her tomorrow, so that she doesn't try anything funny, got it?" Victor commanded.

"Fine, yes, I hear you, but you don't have to order me around. I'm not your personal soldier, you know."

Victor looked like he was about to retaliate, but then simply sighed, as though giving up. "Fine. Good night, Esteban. I'll see you in the morning." And with that he stalked off, leaving Esteban all alone under the night sky.

 _We never used to be like this,_ Esteban thought miserably, watching Victor's retreating figure. _We never used to fight and yell at each other all the time, we used to actually have fun. What changed?_

Esteban sighed, deciding that that was a question he would answer another night. He quickly left the forest and snuck his way back into the palace, where he flopped into his bed fully clothed, not even bothering to change. His mind was plagued with questions and worries about the upcoming day, but the one he found the most troubling was about what Victor had said earlier, that Shuriki could be planning on betraying them. Would she really do that? he wondered, and found that he could not give himself an honest answer.

 _It's too late though, I've made my promise_ , he thought, burrowing his head under his pillow. _I just hope she keeps hers_.

But as he drifted off into a restless sleep, he couldn't shake the feeling that he and Victor had just made a very, very big mistake.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Poor, poor Esteban... :(_**


	4. Mateo

**_A/N: It took me a long time to write this fic (mainly because I had no idea_ what _to write) but I'm finally finished and really happy with how it turned out! Basically it's a story about how the four types of love (storge, philia, eros, and agape (as they are called in greek)) are evident in Mateo's life through childhood to adulthood. So, as always, enjoy! xD_**

* * *

" _There are four main loves found in the world, each one a unique emotional blend. The first love is Storge_ _('store-gae'), or familial love, often a love on which everyone can depend…"_

The sun had barely risen over the mountains near Avalor when little Mateo de Alva awoke, excitement quickly taking the place of the drowsiness he felt most mornings. His mom had told him just the night before that she had a surprise planned for him, and he'd spent all night tossing and turning as he speculated on what it could be. He still hadn't quite figured out exactly what his mother had planned, but he was thrilled all the same, knowing that whatever the surprise was he'd be happy with it. He waited silently in his bed as he listened for the sounds of his mother stirring in the room beside his, and after a few minutes his patience was rewarded when his door creaked open and Rafa de Alva peered inside, smiling at her son.

"I should've known you'd already be awake, _mi hijo."_ Her eyes twinkled affectionately at him as she gestured for him to get up. "Get dressed, and I'll get us some breakfast."

Mateo didn't need to be told twice, and after the two of them had a quick bite to eat they set out into the early morning, the nighttime fog dissipating as the suns powerful rays shone down upon them. They made their way into town, only stopping to wave at a few passerby's or call out a quick greeting, until they finally came to a stop in front of an old, rundown store, right on the edge of town.

Mateo looked up at his mother, his countenance clearly expressing his confusion. "Is this the surprise?" he asked.

Rafa nodded, and pointed to the weathered sign above the door. "Can you read what that says?"

Mateo squinted at the words, sounding them out as he pieced together their meaning. "Li…bra…ry." He paused, and then suddenly exclaimed, "Library! This is a library? I've never been here before."

"That's because it hasn't been open in several years," Rafa explained sadly. "Shuriki banned most fictional stories along with dancing and music, but I used to know the man who worked here many years ago, and he gave me the key so that we could go inside." She walked up to the door and pulled a small bronze key from her skirt pocket. "I know how much you love to read, so I wanted to show you this place." She opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Mateo to enter first.

The room was dark and smelled of mold and mothballs, but soon Mateo's eyes adjusted to the light and he saw the room was lined with bookshelves, stacked with more books he'd seen in his life. He gasped aloud, and his mother chuckled beside him.

"I take it you enjoy the surprise?" she asked.

Mateo couldn't find the words to express how happy he was to see actual books that weren't the three he'd read over and over again at home, so instead he threw his arms around his mother, hugging her as tightly as he could.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he finally managed to say, his voice muffled against her shirt.

"You are most certainly welcome," Rafa replied, returning her sons embrace. "I love you, _mi amado."_

Mateo smiled widely. "I love you too."

" _The second love is one of goodwill and friendship, or Philia ('phil-ee-uh'), as it is so often named…"_

Mateo would be the first to admit that he bit off more than he could chew when it came to preparing for the Harvest Festival. He told Luisa that he could handle the decorations, and then when Esteban asked if he would help hang up notices in town saying that the festival would be held in the Palace, he couldn't bring himself to say no, and then when Elena asked him to help prepare a magic firework show for the end, he immediately agreed, saying it was a great idea. So now he was up to his ears in work, trying to get all the decorations set up in the ballroom while also figuring out a spell that would make fireworks fly into certain formations in the sky, all before heading into town in a few short minutes with Esteban.

"The streamers should go here," he muttered to himself, levitating the decorations into the air with his tamborita, while his other hand drew ideas of how to enchant the fireworks. "And—oh, maybe the fireworks could take the shape of certain fruits that're going to be harvested…" He quickly jotted the idea down, and then looked to the window, noting the sun was almost directly above the palace, signaling that it was nearly noon.

 _I have to hurry,_ Mateo thought with slight alarm, and accidentally dropped the streamers to the floor, where they became a tangled mess. _No, not now,_ he moaned inwardly, tossing aside his notebook to try and quickly untangle the decorations before him.

He really needed to learn to say no to people, or at least not overbook himself.

He was just about to try ditching the streamers all together and start working on the flower centerpieces Luisa wanted when he heard his name being called from the other side of the ballroom.

 _No, I'm sorry, but I can't—please don't ask me to do anything else!_ his mind hollered as he turned around to see Naomi and Gabe walking toward him.

"Watcha doing?" Naomi asked, staring at the piles of random decorations scattered throughout the room.

 _Panicking,_ Mateo thought. "Trying to finish these decorations for Luisa, but…. it's not going too well."

Gabe glanced over at Mateo's notebook and picked it up with curiosity. "And what's this? It doesn't look like a decoration," he chuckled.

"Oh, that. I'm also trying to work out some enchantments that Elena wanted me to use on the fireworks tonight," Mateo explained, stuffing the flowers into vases as quick as he could. He was unaware of his friends staring at him in confusion.

"Uh, why the rush? The festival isn't until tonight y'know," Naomi pointed out, her expression one of slight concern.

"I promised to meet Esteban at noon and help him hang up notices for the festival throughout town." He turned to the window again and figured the sun was high in the sky, meaning it was probably noon.

"You don't have to do _everything,_ you know," Gabe told him, picking up the tangled mass of streamers and gently unwinding the delicate paper.

"I know, but I promised them all I would do it…" Mateo trailed off with a sigh.

"Well, I have a solution for you." Naomi took Mateo's notebook and pressed it into his hands. "You finish the firework thing, since you're the only one who can, and I'll go into town with Esteban to deliver notices while Gabe works on the decorations. Okay?"

Mateo felt as though a large weight had just been removed from his shoulders. "Really? You'd do that?"

Naomi scoffed as she threw an arm across Mateo's shoulders. "Uh, _duh_. We're your friends—of course we'd help you."

Mateo gave them both a grateful smile. "Thank you! I love you guys—you're the best." And with a quick wave he dashed off to his workshop, determined to create the best firework show anyone in Avalor had ever seen.

" _And Eros ('air-ohs') is the love of passion and desire, a true romance that shall not be tamed…"_

"What are you thinking about, _mi querido?_ "

Mateo opened his eyes and saw Elena looking down at him, still gently stroking his hair with her fingers.

He shrugged, a small smile playing over his lips. "As of right now? Probably how I never want to move from this spot as long as I live."

Elena rolled her eyes playfully as his response. "Well, since your head is on my lap I guess that means I'm never moving either."

"Precisely."

Elena flicked his ear and laughed when he frowned at her with narrowed eyes. "I think that may be a bit of a problem though, seeing as Isa's quinceñera is tomorrow and we have to help prepare," she pointed out.

"Since when are you the practical one?" Mateo joked as he closed his eyes again, the warmth of the sun plus Elena's gentle touches soothing him.

"It seems you may be rubbing off on me," Elena replied thoughtfully. "I mean, it's not like we spend the whole day together or are a couple or anything."

"Of course not," Mateo agreed with mock seriousness. "We're strictly friends, nothing more."

There was a beat of silence before Elena began laughing, prompting Mateo to open his eyes again just to see her joyful face.

"Do you remember when we tried to convince everyone we were just friends, even though we both already confessed our feelings to each other?" she asked with an amused smile.

Mateo cringed. "Yeah, we were terrible liars. I also remember your _abuela_ practically ordering us to start courting at some point after that."

"We were such shy, awkward teens back then," Elena reminisced fondly. "Thankfully we've gotten better."

"No kidding," Mateo chuckled in response. He looked up at Elena again and couldn't help but smile. "So…" he began, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "What are _you_ thinking about, _mi querida_?"

Elena hummed softly as she thought. "What am I thinking? How about you guess."

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say…me." Mateo winked.

"Well aren't you a little self-centered," Elena chided teasingly. "But, alas, you are correct. You know me too well."

"It's a skill that I take much pride in," said Mateo, grinning unabashedly. "But I must ask, what exactly are you thinking _about_ me? Nothing too awful, I hope."

"Only the worst, undoubtedly," Elena assured, but then her eyes became soft as she reached down to intertwine their fingers. "Honestly though? I was probably thinking about your sweet smile, or the way your eyes always light up when you see me, or just how lucky I am to have you by my side."

His heart swelling with emotion, Mateo finally sat up, turning to gently cup her face with his hands. Elena's eyes fluttered close at his touch, and she turned her head to press a soft kiss to his palm. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that?" she whispered tenderly.

Mateo found that at the moment, no words could describe how much she meant to him too, so he simply leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, quickly loosing himself in their passionate exchange.

"I love you," he mumbled when they eventually broke for air, silently willing her to understand just how much he cared for her.

Elena seemed to fully comprehend the unspoken implication his words held, for she kissed him again just as fervently, and together they reveled in the bliss that only they could bring each other.

" _The final love is a special one only seen in those who are selfless and kind, for Agape ('ah-gah-peh') is a universal love, that can be stronger than them all combined…"_

The ground shook beneath Mateo's feet as the ancient Maruvian creature turned around to face him. It was roughly about the size of a large, four story building, and was made of pure, impenetrable marble, making it nearly impossible to defeat. Yet it wasn't the monster that Avalor was in danger from—it was the malvago controlling it.

"Don't do this!" Mateo pleaded with the man, raising his weary arms to shoot another spell at the creature to keep it from trampling the houses and shops belonging to the citizens of Avalor. "Why are you trying to destroy the city?"

His mind immediately flashed to Elena and his friends and family, who were all currently helping the people of Avalor find safety while Mateo was keeping the malvago and his monster at bay.

"I will do whatever it takes to find more power," the malvago announced, his eyes blazing with hunger.

The marble monster swiped its hand at Mateo, to which he managed to avoid by ducking low to the ground. "You won't have any power if you don't have a city to rule, so _stop destroying it_!" Mateo cried in frustration, trying to find a way to get around the large creature so he could duel with the malvago, face-to-face. He tried sending a freezing spell at the Maruvian monster, but the enchantment simply had no effect on it due to its large size.

The malvago began chuckling, shaking his head at Mateo. "Young man, it's not the city I'm after, it's the _power._ The power that belongs to the Scepter of Light!"

Mateo froze as he processed this new information. An idea suddenly popped into his head; it was a bit crazy, and maybe wouldn't even work, but Mateo was desperate and knew he had to try.

"What if I offered you a different kind of power?" he called. "A power I guarantee you've never seen before?"

The malvago frowned, considering his words. "And just what exactly are you offering?"

Mateo swallowed. "The Codex Maru, and every other spell book I have."

The malvago's face lit up with surprise. "The Codex Maru? You have it?" He suddenly squinted in confusion, looking at Mateo with mistrust. "Then why would you be willing to give it up?"

Mateo stared hard into the malvago's eyes. "Because I love this kingdom and everyone in it, and I will not just sit around and watch my home be destroyed," he stated, meaning the declaration with all of his heart.

The malvago held eye contact with Mateo for a long moment before he gave a curt nod, a grin slowly spreading across his lips. "I'll accept you offer," the man said. "Give me the Codex Maru and every other magical thing you possess, and I will leave Avalor forever." He waved his hand and the marble monster froze, no longer set on rampaging the city.

"Good," Mateo responded, though his heart was sinking in disappointment.

As he and the malvago made their way to the palace to retrieve the Codex Maru, Mateo couldn't help but hope that another option would somehow reveal itself to him, yet he knew that when it came down to it, he would gladly give up all his magic and more if it meant protecting the kingdom and people that he loved.

" _Each love has a purpose and design, meant to set certain feelings apart, yet it is up to ourselves to decide on the people we take into our heart."_


	5. Naomi

**_A/N: I have to be honest, I literally know nothing about Naomi's backstory or how she came to live in Avalor, so I wrote a fic as an explanation for myself on how she adjusts to life in a new kingdom so far away from her old home. So, I hope you enjoy my random musings and headcannons for Naomi :)_**

* * *

" _Avalor?_ " Naomi repeated the word incredulously. "Where is that? On the other side of the world?"

"So you do know where it is!" her mom said with a jubilant smile, while Naomi remained horrified.

Most girls wanted a pet or new clothes for their fourteen birthday, not to move to a random kingdom on the _other side of the planet!_

"But why?" Naomi protested, feeling a sense of panic rise up in her chest. _Leave Norberg? And all my friends and everything I've ever known behind?_

"It'll be a good experience for all of us, plus your mother and I both got an amazing job opportunity there," her father explained gently, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Besides, you love sailing and going on adventures."

"Yeah, but at the end of our voyages we always came back here, to our _home_ ," Naomi objected, emphasizing the word 'home.'"What does Avalor have that Norberg doesn't?"

"Well, it's one of best trading capitals in the world, and it's said to be one of the most beautiful places known to man," her father reasoned.

"It's also way warmer than here," her mom added with a smile.

Naomi crossed her arms with a frown. "But what if I like the cold?" she grumbled.

Her mother walked over to where Naomi was standing and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "It'll be okay, sweetheart. Just give it time, and I'm sure you'll warm up to the idea eventually."

Naomi wanted to scream, to tell her parents that she'd never warm up to the idea and refused to leave, but found herself simply nodding, trying her best to hold back the bitter tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

...

They left exactly two months after she turned fourteen. Naomi was still upset about the whole ordeal, but knew that there was nothing she could do to change her parent's mind, so she swallowed all of her complaints and protests and tried to act as indifferent to the situation as possible. She really did enjoy sailing with her parents though, and even began enjoying the voyage after a while. Since Avalor was so far away, her family made numerous stops at different ports all over the world and got see several different sights and experience other cultures. She realized it had been a while since her family had spent so much time together; her mom was normally always off on expeditions for two to three weeks at a time, and even though they saw her at least once or twice a month, it just wasn't the same without her.

Finally, after sailing the seas and exploring the world for two and a half months, they finally made it to Avalor. Naomi had done a bit of research on the place before they left and was interested to see and hear all the dancing and music the kingdom was famous for, but found it to be surprisingly silent.

 _Strange,_ Naomi thought, but the beauty definitely surpassed what she had been expecting. The city seemed to sparkle in the sun, and the numerous assortments of lush, green plants everywhere gave off a tropical vibe.

"Well, welcome home everyone," Naomi's mom announced with a large grin.

"Home," Naomi repeated. The word felt foreign on her tongue, and she knew she'd probably consider Norberg her home for several more months, but as long as she had her family with her, she supposed she'd be able to adjust eventually.

...

Naomi was loathe to admit it, but the first several months in Avalor were difficult. Her family arrived right at the beginning of summer, which at first Naomi had been thankful for since she didn't have to go to school, but she soon began wishing she _had_ gone to school, even if it had just been for a few weeks. The only people she knew were her parents and the other dockworkers, but there was no one around her age to hang out with, which resulted in one of the most boring summers of her life. It got even worse when her mom left on her first voyage. She knew it was her job to travel around the seas and deliver both objects and people to different ports, but she had thought that maybe the new job here in Avalor wouldn't break their family apart as much as the job back in Norberg did.

 _I should've known it would be the same,_ Naomi thought dejectedly as she glanced at the calendar in their cabin. It'd been a whole month that her mom had been gone—longer than any of the voyages in Norberg.

That's when Naomi decided to find ways to distract herself from all the loneliness she was feeling. She began exploring around town, introducing herself to people and discovering more about Avalor and its history. Yet she couldn't quite understand why people were so hesitant to speak of the queen, and always changed the subject whenever she brought it up. Naomi had never seen Queen Shuriki, but figured she couldn't be all _that_ bad—Avalor was one of the most successful kingdom's in the world because of her. She simply put it out of her mind, however, deciding to look into it later. Over time she began to feel more comfortable living in Avalor, having finally learned her way around the town and gotten to know a few of the citizens, and when school started up again in the fall, Naomi couldn't remember a time when she'd ever been more excited.

Her first day was fairly normal; she went to her classes and talked to a few people. One boy named Mateo was especially nice to her, but he always seemed to have his head buried in a book and was extremely jumpy, so she tried not to disturb him often.

Life was still different for Naomi—she didn't have many friends and her mother's voyages seemed to grow longer and longer—but it was better than it was before.

...

Naomi finally heard the whole story when Elena made her triumphant return and Shuriki was usurped from the throne. Needless to say, Naomi was horrified that a liar and murder, a downright _villain,_ had been ruling Avalor for the past forty years. She was pleased to hear that the rightful rulers were now back on the throne, and found the story of the Castillo Flores family to be tragically fascinating, but she never expected to actually _meet_ the crown-princess herself, that was until Elena showed up at the docks only a few days after the whole ordeal with Shuriki. Naomi was surprised, but didn't let the fact that Elena was royalty deter her from speaking her mind and advising the princess to follow her instinct, as Naomi herself had always done. She was even more surprised when Elena asked her to come along on her adventure, but couldn't bring herself to say no to such an exciting opportunity.

In just a few short hours Naomi was surprised at how fast they became friends, and was tremendously pleased when Elena asked her to be on the ground council. After almost a year of searching and waiting, Naomi had finally found her place among the kingdom. She had friends, she went on exciting adventures, and she loved every second of it all.

Life in Avalor was becoming normal, and for the first time ever since she arrived, she began to consider the place as her home.


	6. Gabe

**_A/N: Gabe is definitely one of the most interesting and fun characters in the show (in my opinion), and since it's Gabe appreciation day, I decided to write a fic in where Gabe's actions are, well, appreciated :)_**

* * *

No one saw it coming until it was too late.

It was obviously an accident—no one was trying to purposely sabotage the palace—but the danger was just as real, and Gabe was only thankful that he was able to get everyone out alive before the fire began its scorching rampage. The cause of the fire was still unknown, but by the time Armando finally noticed the smoke it was too large to put out and spreading fast, and the origin became the least of their problems.

Gabe could still vividly picture all the events from the previous night. He'd just finished overseeing the training of a few new recruits and was about to turn in for the night when he caught the peculiar smell of wood smoke. He didn't think anything of it, supposing it was just someone in the village cooking their dinner outside, but then he heard his name being called in terror.

"Captain! _Captain!"_

Gabe recognized the voice, belonging to one of the recruits he'd just seen a matter of minutes ago.

"Josue? What's wrong?" asked Gabe immediately, reaching for his sword as he saw the look of pure panic on the young boy's face.

"Fire!" Josue managed to splutter. "Palace—fire—everywhere!"

Gabe stared at him in astonishment. "The palace is on fire?" He then remembered the smoke in the air, and felt his stomach twist with horror.

 _No._

Without waiting for a response, Gabe raced out into the courtyard and looked up with a gasp, for the whole west wing of the palace was engulfed in flames. _No, no, no,_ his mind kept chanting, and it took everything in Gabe not to freeze up and stare dumbstruck at the horrifying sight.

"What should we do?" he heard Josue cry from behind him, and it was just what Gabe needed to snap him out of his daze.

"Sound the alarm, alert everyone to the situation, start a bucket brigade at the docks leading to the palace, and I'll gather up a team to go and rescue anyone still inside," he ordered, wishing he felt as confident as he sounded. Josue nodded and dashed off, while Gabe raced to the guard barracks and rounded up as many people as he could.

Almost everyone was aware of the fire by now, either due to the loud ringing of the alarm bell or else just the raging flames lighting up the night sky. When Gabe and his team made it to the scene he immediately ran into Armando, who nearly sobbed with relief at the sight of him.

"There's people still in there!" he exclaimed with alarm. "Once I saw the smoke I tried to tell everyone that I could, but then I panicked and knew I had to leave, and I was just about to go and get you but you're here now so please, you have to help!"

"Of course we will." Gabe laid a comforting hand on Armando's shoulder. "Where's the royal family?"

"I don't know!" Armando cried in near hysterics. "I don't know!"

"Okay, it's okay, we'll find them," Gabe quickly assured. "Just—stay here!" He turned around and ordered a few of his guards to take a head count of everyone safely out of the palace, and then sprinted into the inferno.

The heat quickly became unbearable and the smoke burned his eyes and lungs, but Gabe plunged ahead, not willing to stop until everyone was safely outside. He managed to find a few of the palace staff and swiftly escorted them to the exit, and then turned around to race back inside again. He continued his search, calling out to anyone who still might be in the hallways and checking every room he could see, when he saw Mateo stumble out of the library, covered head to toe in soot.

"Mateo!" Gabe cried in alarm, rushing toward his friend and helping to steady him. "Are you okay?"

Mateo gave a feeble nod. "I had…to go back…for the Codex Maru…" he explained through a fit of coughs, stopping to double over with his hands on his knees.

"C'mon, we've got to get you outta here." Gabe slung Mateo's arm over his shoulder and helped him race toward the exit.

"Have you seen Elena?" Gabe questioned once they were back in open air.

Mateo looked up at Gabe with concern. "Yeah, right after we…discovered the fire. She went to find…her grandparents and sister. You mean she isn't back yet?" he huffed.

Gabe quickly scanned the sea of faces outside the palace and found he couldn't spot Elena's face anywhere, or any of the royal family for that matter. "No," he announced dejectedly. "Stay here, I'll find her." Before Mateo could say another word, Gabe turned and ran back inside again.

The fire was spreading fast, and it was only a matter of time before no one could get in anymore—or out. Thankfully most of the kingdom had gathered together to start a bucket brigade and supply water to put out the fire, but Gabe knew that no matter how fast they went, they couldn't outrun the flames.

"Elena!" Gabe hollered. "Luisa! Francisco! Isabel! Where are you?" he called again, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the fire.

As he tried to listen to the sound of voices possibly calling in return, a large ear-splitting _crack_ reached Gabe's ears instead, and he looked up just in time to dive out of the way as a large piece of the ceiling came tumbling down from above him. He landed on the hard floor with a grunt, but then felt a scorching pain race up his arm and realized his jacket was on fire. With a hoarse yelp he managed to pat out the flames, but he could still feel the tantalizing sting of the burn the fire had left on his arm.

 _I need to find everyone, and fast,_ Gabe thought, desperation overtaking the weariness in his limbs. He redoubled his efforts to search throughout all the burning rooms of the palace, and then he spotted three individuals making their way toward him through the furious flames.

"Elena!" Gabe called with relief, and saw that her grandparents were with her as well. "Hurry, you've all got to get out of here." He reached out to help Luisa as the older woman almost stumbled on the smoldering debris littering the floor. "Are you the last ones inside? Where's Isa?"

Elena frowned at Gabe as she swiped her hand across her forehead, leaving a large patch a soot in its wake. "You mean you didn't see Isa and Christina outside?"

Gabe shook his head, his stomach clenching at the horrified look on Elena's face.

"Isabel is still inside?" Francisco exclaimed through the fabric he had covering his mouth. "We must find her immediately!"

"We've got to get you outside first," Gabe declared, but Elena reached out and grabbed his arm.

"No, you go and find Isa, I'll get my _abuelos_ out from here," Elena ordered.

"But what about you, will you be—?"

"Gabe, you have to trust me when I say I can take care of myself," Elena interrupted him. "Please, find Isa and Christina; I'll come help you once I get my _abuelos_ to safety."

Gabe could tell from the hard look in Elena's eyes that the issue was no longer up to discussion, so he simply nodded, figuring that arguing would only waste more time.

"Alright. Be safe." He then dashed away, searching high and low for the younger princess and her friend. He wasn't sure how long he'd been inside the burning palace by now, but the heat was becoming intense, and every breath he took felt like he was inhaling shards of glass. "Isabel! Christina!" he shouted, but knew they'd hardly be able to hear him. He turned to go down another hallway when he had to stop short in front of a pile of burning debris. He was contemplating on whether he should try to crawl under it or just vault over the top when he heard a cry of frustration coming from the other side, followed by the unmistakable sound of coughing.

 _I found them!_ Gabe realized with triumph, and with that in mind he found the energy to hurdle the large pile of debris and make it to the other side.

"Gabe?" he heard Isabel's voice from behind him, and he turned around to see the young princess standing there with a look of relief on her face, her friend Christina riding on her back.

"Are you guys okay?" Gabe immediately asked. "What happened? Elena said you went out way ahead of her."

"We were okay, until a piece of debris fell from the ceiling and caught Christina's wheelchair on fire," Isabel explained hoarsely. "I've been carrying her on my back, but we weren't getting very far, and then we got trapped here."

"I'm so sorry," Christina mumbled, her voice barely audible over the fire. "I'm slowing us all down."

"It's not your fault," Gabe comforted, while Isabel told her, "Don't be silly, Gabe will help us now."

Another piece of the ceiling came tumbling down right behind the three of them, prompting Gabe to sweep up Christina and secure her on his back.

"We've got to get out of here," Gabe announced, noting how close the fire was closing in on them. If they didn't get out now, they'd find themselves prey to the hungry inferno. The way he'd came was now completely impossible to get through, especially now with a person on his back, so he quickly made his way further down the hallway, Isabel trailing close behind him.

"Quickly, turn here," Gabe instructed as they rounded the corner and found themselves in another hallway. They made a series of twists and turns and retraced their steps several times, trying to find a way to the exit, and Gabe felt himself grow more weary and exhausted as the seconds ticked by.

 _I don't know if I can make it,_ he thought more than once, but then he remembered Christina and Isabel and how he promised to help them get to safety, and his resolve hardened and he found the energy to keep moving forward.

Gabe wasn't sure how long the three of them were in there—five, ten, twenty minutes—but when he eventually saw the flight of stairs leading to the entrance hall he could've wept with relief. They had just made their way down the stairs and out into the open air again when he saw Elena barreling towards them, her arms outstretched as she wrapped her sister in a rib-breaking hug.

"You're okay!" she cried with joy. "I was so worried, but I knew Gabe would save you."

Christina's father had come running over only a few seconds after Elena, taking his daughter from Gabe's shoulders and thanking him profusely. Gabe could only nod in acknowledgement at the man's gratefulness, and then grabbed the shoulder of the first royal guard he saw.

"Is everyone out…and accounted for?" he gasped, his throat completely raw.

The guard nodded. "Yes, sir. Everyone is safe."

Gabe released a sigh of relief, and then collapsed to the ground, completely and utterly exhausted.

...

The fire was eventually put out, and the next day all the townspeople went back to their daily routine, while Elena and Mateo began to reconstruct the palace with their magic.

Gabe helped by searching through all the rubble and pulling out items that were still salvageable or had been untouched by the fire, but was interrupted from his task by the sudden appearance of Isabel and Christina.

"How're you girls today?" Gabe asked as he continued to toss aside debris.

"Okay, thanks to you," Isabel stated with a grin.

"We just wanted to say thank you, for saving our lives," Christina said to him earnestly, her eyes shining with gratefulness.

Gabe paused in his sorting to smile at the young girls. "Well, they were two lives worth saving."

After a bit more idle chat, both girls then waved goodbye to him, letting him get back to his work, but not before Isabel gave him a fleeting hug, declaring that he was the best captain of the guard she'd ever known.

As they left Gabe couldn't help but smile at their retreating forms, once again reminded of how much he loved his job.

He might not always get to be a hero and have the grand, daring adventures he dreamed about in his youth, but he got to make a difference in the lives of the people of Avalor, and for him, that was more than enough.


	7. Rafa de Alva

**_A/N: For this last story, I decided to write it about Mateo's mom, Rafa de Alva, since there's really no backstory for her and I wanted to explore that a little bit more. Anyway, as always, read and enjoy :)_**

* * *

Growing up she never imagined that her life would turn out like the way it did. She always pictured herself having a successful future with a great job, a supportive husband, a wonderful home, and a family of her own. She never pictured any other possibility, because at the time she was absolutely certain that her life would turn out just as she planned.

She soon learned to always prepare for the unexpected.

It all started when she was a young teenager, and Shuriki had just taken over the kingdom. Many of the townspeople had no clue how Shuriki had come into power or why the Castillo Flores family just seemingly vanished, but Rafa knew. She heard her parents discussing it late at night, talking about how vile and murderous Shuriki was, and how they needed to find help in order to rescue the princess. Rafa wasn't sure where the princess was, but she knew it must be in a very secure place, for her father sounded distraught as he explained the situation to her mother.

"I must go—immediately," she heard him say, the sound of a chair squeaking as it moved across the floor. Rafa knew he must've been getting up from the table, and creeped back into her own room, pretending as though she was asleep and hadn't heard anything they were saying.

"Are you sure?" she heard her mother reply. Her voice was muffled through the wall but the anxious tone in her voice was as clear as ever.

"If there is to be any hope left in Avalor, then I must seek help," her father responded gravely. "I will be back as soon as I can."

There was a moment of silence, and then she heard footsteps walking toward her room. Rafa quickly closed her eyes and pulled her blankets up to her ears, pretending as though she was fast asleep.

Her door creaked open, and she heard her father whisper, "Stay strong, my dear. I will see you again soon," and then he left.

Once he closed the door, Rafa's eyes flew open, her heart beating in a frenzy. _Her father was leaving?_

 _He's just going to find help,_ she reasoned with herself. _He's the royal wizard—it's his job to protect the kingdom._

At the time her argument had sufficiently quelled her worries, but looking back now she wished she would've gotten up and raced to her father, giving him one last hug, for that was the last time she'd ever see him again.

She came to the realization that her father was gone when her mother moved all of his magic equipment into the basement a few years later, declaring they wouldn't be of use to anyone anymore. Rafa wished she could comfort her mother, to say that Alacazar would return and they could be a family again, but she knew deep in her bones that her words would be a lie, and she could never bring false hope to her mother like that.

A few years passed and her and her mother managed life on their own, but when Rafa turned eighteen her mother became sick, and it was only a matter of time before she realized that both of her parents would soon be lost to her forever. Thankfully it was around that time that she met a young man, a man with a caring smile and an imagination as vast and creative as hers, so when her mother did eventually pass she had a shoulder to cry on, and he helped lessen the pain.

A few years down the road they got married, and began the live she had imagined for herself as a child. They both found decent jobs that paid a respectable salary, and eventually they were able to move in to her mother's old house on the outskirts of Avalor, which was a blessing to the two of them when they quickly discovered that a child was soon on the way.

The child turned out to be a boy—a strong, healthy little boy—who they lovingly named Mateo de Alva. Mateo was the light in both of their lives; as young as he was they could tell he'd inherited their genuine sense of curiosity, and even though his looks came from his father, his sweet smile and generous heart clearly came from Rafa.

For a while, everything was perfect; Rafa couldn't have wanted anything else in life, except for the opportunity for Mateo to have met his grandparents, but since she knew that was clearly impossible, she told him stories about them instead. Mateo always enjoyed hearing stories about his _abuelo_ Alacazar, and Rafa could see that the interest in magic was still strong in her family line.

Then when Mateo was five, the unthinkable happened. Rafa's husband got involved in a secret organization that planned to overthrow Shuriki, but when their plan had been found out he was taken away, forced to leave both his family and Avalor behind, never to return again.

Rafa was heartbroken, but knew that nothing could've saved her husband from that fate. So, she put on a brave smile and tried to continue through life as normal as possible, and balance both her job and raising Mateo since she was now a single parent. For the most part she got through it fine, but it was the times when Mateo asked when his _papi_ was coming back that really upset her. In his eyes she could see her teenage self being reflected back at her, and suddenly she knew exactly how her mother felt every time Rafa had asked the exact same question.

"Soon," was all she could say, and over time Mateo quit asking, which brought both relief and grief to Rafa.

Every day she watched as Mateo grew, only wishing that the people she loved could share the experience with her. She knew deep in her heart that he was destined for great things, which was why she never stopped him when she discovered he was illegally practicing magic in the basement of their house, and could only cry with pride when later on informed her that he was to be made the new royal wizard.

She knew that her life didn't turn out the way she had expected, but she still loved her life all the same. Even with all the unforeseen circumstances and losses she'd endured, over time she soon realized that she didn't need a life perfectly planned out and filled with luxury, because she still had family and friends, and that was all she needed to be happy.


End file.
